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PROCEEDINGS 



CLASS OF 1846 OF HARVARD COLLEGE, 

August 12, 18G3, 
0n t^« gtal^ of 

LIEUTENANT EZRA RIPLEY. 



BOSTON: 
PRINTED FOR THE CLASS, 

BY .rOIIN WILSON A.M> SOX. 
1863. 



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PROCEEDINGS 



CLASS OF 1846 OF HARVARD COLLEGE, 

August 12, 1863, 
On l^t gtatb of 

LIEUTENANT EZRA RIPLEY. 



BOSTON: 
PRINTED FOR THE CLASS, 

BY JOHN WILSON ANIJ SON. 

18G3. 



£7513 
. 5 



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PROCEEDINGS 

OF THE 

CLASS OF 1846 OF HARVARD COLLEGE, 

©n tfjc DcaUj of 

LIEUTENANT EZRA RIPLEY. 



In compliance with a notice sent to the members of 
the class resident in this vicinity, a meeting was 
held at the office of Charles E. Guild, Esq., in 
Boston, on Wednesday, August 12, 1863, at noon, 
to express their feelings of respect and regard for 
the memory of Ezra Ripley, who died in the ser- 
vice of his country, the twenty-eighth day of July 
last, near Vicksburg, Mississippi, on board the hos- 
pital-boat " Glasgow." 

The leading mcidents ui the military career of 
our friend were made known through the reading 
of a tribute to his character which appeared in the 
"Boston Daily Advertiser" of August 10; while 



other most honorable and interesting facts con- 
nected with his domestic, civil, and military life, 
were stated by different gentlemen. A very gene- 
ral expression was given by those present to their 
pleasmg recollections of Ripley's college-days ; to 
their warm appreciation of his sterling qualities ; 
and to their sense of the loss which had fallen to 
his family, the community, and his former asso- 
ciates, by his early death. 

Instead of formal resolutions, it was thought 
better to embody the views which had been ex- 
pressed, in a letter to his widow, — which was 
accordingly prepared and adopted, and which 
Messrs. Norton, Homans, Preston, and Whitney 
were requested to sign m behalf of the class, and 
to forward to Mrs. Ripley. 

Knowmg that the action of the meeting, and 
aught relating to the memory of Lieutenant Ripley, 
would possess a deep interest for those of our 
number who were unable to be present with us, 
the Secretary was dhected to cause one hundred 
and fifty copies of the proceedings to be prmted, 
and to request the writer of the article in the 
" Advertiser " to permit the same to be included 
therewith. To this request, the author of the 
sketch referred to — James B. Thayer, Esq., of 



the class of 1852, a brother-in-law of the deceased 
— has courteously given his assent; and we have 
much pleasure in being thus allowed to preserve, 
in some permanent form, this just, beautiful, and 
discriminating notice of our classmate. 

On reference to our class-book, it is found that 
the few humorous lines which he there penned are 
eminently characteristic. The burden of them is 
self-deprecatory. Yet his intimation that the future 
record of his life would be but a blank, has proved, 
as his more intimate friends predicted, most im- 
fomided; for he has left an example of disinterested 
philanthropy, of that singleness of purpose which 
can right the wrong, of private vhtues and of pub- 
lic spirit, which we must ever cherish with pride 
and satisfaction. 

\monc. other minutes, we find it noted m the 
class-book, that, in the winter of 1855-6, he was 
chosen President of the Common Council of Cam- 
bridge ; but that, owmg to feeble health, he was 
obliged to resign the position. 

Lieutenant Ripley's remains were left at Helena, 
Arkansas; and measures have been adopted which 
can hardly fail to enable his family to identify the 
spot where they rest. 

He was born m Waltham, August 10, 1826 ; and 



was married in East Cambridge, May 14, 1853, by 
the Eev. F. W. Holland, to Harriet M. Hayden. 
They had no children. At the date of his death, 
he had nearly completed the thirty-seventh year of 



his age. 



Boston, August 12, 1863. 



LIEUTENANT EZRA RIPLEY. 



The sad news of the death of Lieutenant Ezra 
Ripley, of the Twenty-ninth Massachusetts Regi- 
ment, reached this city a few days ago. A soldier 
of the regiment, who had been detailed to accom- 
pany him home, brought ^vord on Thursday last 
that he died on the hospital-boat " Glasgow," a 
few hours after leaving Vicksburg, on July 28. 
He had been exhausted by overwork, courageously 
assumed by his generous and ardent nature when 
he was not yet strong enough to bear it. 

Lieutenant Ripley was the son of the late Rev. 
Samuel Ripley of Waltham, and was born August 
10, 1826 : his mother still lives at Concord in this 
State, — a lady beloved and honored as few persons 
are, in this or any community. Through her he was 
descended dhectly from the pilgrim Governor Brad- 
ford ; his grandfather, Gamaliel Bradford, was a 
lieutenant, and liis great-grandfather, of the same 



8 

name, was a colonel, in the War of the Revo- 
lution. His paternal grandmother was also the 
grandmother of Mr. Halph Waldo Emerson of 
Concord. He graduated at Harvard College in 
1846. When the war broke out, he had been for 
ten years a lawyer at East Cambridge, had twice 
been appointed there to honorable public offices, 
and was now engaged in a large and increasing 
practice. But he gave up his business, and en- 
tered at once upon the formation of a military 
company in that town. The blood that was in him 
would not suffer him to rest or linger. 

And yet he was a slender, delicate, sensitive, 
and peculiarly unwarlike person, — often the sub- 
ject of his own laughter for a timidity which he 
humorously exaggerated into something more than 
feminine. His health, too, was any thing but robust. 
For these reasons, many persons opposed his going 
to the war ; but he would listen to no opposition, 
and, with a steadfast and high-flaming enthusiasm 
for what seemed to him to be his duty, he left 
every thing, and went. From beginning to end, 
however, all through his life as a soldier, his pa- 
triotism had the support — constant, gentle, self- 
sacrificing, mexpressibly comforting to him — of 
the one person that Avas dearest to him. 



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After serving as third lieutenant in the East 
Cambridge company in camp at home, he was 
nominated by General Butler, in the summer ot 
1861, to be first lieutenant in what is now Com- 
pany's of the 29th Massachusetts Kegiment,— 
then a compairy of the old " Massachusetts Bat- 
talion" at Fortress Monroe. This company and 
Company I of the same regiment are the oldest 
vohmteer troops in the three years' service ; bav- 
in, been mustered in on May U, 1861. In thrs 
modest but honorable position, Lieutenant Papley 
rexnained a fh-st lieuteirant until the time of his 
death. Some reasons mterfered with his promo- 
tion, which were in a high degree honorable to him, 
but which cannot properly be mentioned here. 

Yet he was not without marked honor from his 
superior officers. AVhUe stationed at Fortress 
Monroe and at Kewport News, he was pretty con- 
stantly employed as Judge-Advocate. Early m 
the year 1863, Gen. Mansfield placed him upon 
his staff. This position ho resigned hi June of 
that year, when his regiment was ordered up the 
penmsula, and it was made certain that his General 
was still to remam behind at Newport News. In 
Kentucky, he served on the staff of Col. Pierce, 
Actuig Brigadier-General; and, at the time of his 



10 

death, he was Acting Assistant Adjutant-General 
to Col. Christ, then acting as Brigadier-General 
near Yicksburg. 

The abihties and character of Lieutenant Ripley 
justified the confidence of these officers, and might 
well have assured him a higher nominal rank. 
But there never was a person more modest, more 
eager to prefer others before himself, more indif- 
ferent to his own prospects of advancement, when 
there was occasion to assert some neglected piece 
of justice. Had he lived a little longer, there is 
good reason to believe that he would have received 
the nommation of Colonel to one of the new 
colored regiments. He was not aware of this ; 
but it is kno^\^l that he would have rejoiced to 
belong to these regiments m any capacity. For 
such a position, he had distinguished qualifications 
of skill, humanity, and the greatest interest in the 
welfare of the African race. He was full of 
superabundant sympathy for every thing that 
breathes ; and knew well the secret, which no art 
can teach, of compelling the obedience of men 
through sentiments of love, gratitude, and personal 
regard. He had, moreover, a remarkably alert and 
penetrating intellect, a tenacious memory, strong 
native good sense, and a keen and cheerful wit. 



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Lieutenant Ripley was in the hottest of the ter- 
rible seven days' fighting before Richmond. At 
Harrison's Landing his strength gave out, and he 
came home on a furiough. In September, he jomed 
his regiment again, just before the battle of Antie- 
tam, — leaving home at a time when his physician 
did not think him well enough to be out in the damp 
of the evening, resistuig the assurances of friends at 
Washington that he was not well enough to go on, 
pacing fifty dollars for a conveyance in Maryland, 
and, when he could no longer hire a conveyance, 
taking his bag in his hand, sleeping at night under 
a haycock, and hurraing forward on foot to fhid his 
regiment just drawn up in line at the beginning of 
the Antietam fight. Gen. Richardson bluffly told 
him on the spot, that he was not well enough to be 
there ; but he persisted that he was, and went 
bravely and handsomely through the whole of the 
battle. While at Falmouth, afterwards, he was 
called home on recruitmg service for the Second 
Massachusetts Cavalry. He returned in February 
last to his regiment, which was then, or soon after- 
wards, placed in the Ninth Army-Corps under Gen. 
Burnside. In March, this corps went mto Ken- 
tucky. As they were moving westward, the noble 
fellow wrote home a letter which was full of the 



12 



pure inspirations that stirred him. He had been 
speaking of the beautiful mountam-scenery along 
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which had filled 
him with enthusiasm ; and then he added : — 

" I could not help thinking we had indeed a country 
worth fighting for. To think that we were in danger of 
losing the great and good government whose paternal care 
is extended so widely, and whose benign influence is felt 
in the remotest corner of these wild regions ; which offers 
freedom and equal rights to all ; whose very greatness is 
shown in this her struggle for existence, — made me almost 
frantic. If any thing were needed to make me feel the 
necessity of working in the good cause to the last, to give 
the last drop to my country, this journey has convinced 

me. God forgive me if I hesitate or falter now 

May you, too, feel this freshness of heart and soul, this 
renewed vigor, Avith which this mountain-air and scenery 
have inspired me." 

And so he went over into Kentucky, and, in June, 
to Vicksburg ; true to the last to e^^ery dut}' of his 
position. 

The manner of his death was characteristic. 
When the troops in July went on to Jackson, Lieu- 
tenant Ripley, on account of an injury to his leg, 
was left behind, — " in the wilderness," as he said, — 
with one man to take care of him. After a few 
days he had nearly recovered, when word came back 



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that Colonel Christ was sick. No orders came for 
Lieutenant Ripley, but he said that he felt sure he 
must be needed ; and, over-estimating his own 
strength, on July 16 he hastened forward, riding 
seventy miles under the blazing sun, in an open 
wagon, and reaching Jackson just as the troops 
were returning to their camp on the Yazoo River 
near Vicksburg. He came back with them, but 
now travelled in an ambulance : when they arrived 
at the camp, he was quite iU ; and it was thought 
best, in accordance with his own wishes, that he 
should try to reach home. 

On July 28, at four o'clock in the afternoon, this 
poor, exhausted, faithful soldier left the sultry heats 
of Vicksburg for the North and his native New 
England. But, at eleven o'clock that same evening, 
he died : a cool night-breeze was blowmg through 
the open doors of his room, and he was attended by 
a faithful man from his regiment, whom he himself 
had chosen. An hour before his death, he found 
strength to send a message of mingled love and 
exultation to his wife ; nor did he forget to caution 
the messenger not to tell her of his death directly, 
but to see one of his brothers first. 

On the very day — Alumni day — when Dr. 
AValker was speaking at Cambridge, in a manner so 



14 



afFecting, of the patriotism of the sons of Harvard 
College, one of her children, under the hot sun of 
Mississippi, was illustrating in his o'wn conduct the 
truth of all that was said. 

Ezra E.ipley was the friend of every poor and 
helpless person, and risked every thing to protect 
them. His lavish expenditure of his own time and 
means for others would never have suffered him to 
grow rich ; but he has laid up treasure, which 
neither moth nor rust can corrupt, in the heart of 
many a prisoner in the jail at East Cambridge, and 
of many a poor man and woman to whom words of 
sympathy were unfamiliar ; and his name is held 
dear by the soldiers who were under him. 

J. B. T. 



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LETTER TO MRS. RIPLEY 



To Mrs. Ezra Ripley. 

Madam, — The Classmates of your late husband 
desire to express to you their deep and tender 
sympathy in your sorrow, and thek sense of per- 
sonal loss in your husband's death. 

They have thought that a series of formal and 
pubhc resolutions would be less appropriate to 
his modest and retii'ing vntues, than a more sim- 
ple and private expression of thek regard and 
faithful remembrance. 

They will cherish his memory, not only with 
pride in his generous gift of life to his country's 
cause, and in his honorable death in her service, 
but also with affection in recallmg his pure, sweet, 
and manly character. 

They would also beg to convey through you, to 
the honored and venerable mother of their Col- 
lege-associate, their equally heartfelt sympathies ; 



16 

and they feel that her grief must be mmgled with 
happy and consohng reflections, in knowing that 
the years she gave to the training and cuUure of 
her son have borne such noble fruits of useful- 
ness and of patriotic self-devotion. 

In behalf of Lieutenant Hipley's Classmates, in 
accordance with whose request and suggestions 
this letter has been written, and by them adopted 
as their own, at a very full meeting held this day, 
we ask to be allowed to subscribe ourselves with 
true respect. 

Your friends, 

HENRY A. WIIITNF.Y. 
CHARLES ELIOT NORTON. 
GEORGE H. PRESTON. 
CHARLES D. HOMANS. 

Boston, 12tli August, 1863. 



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